Feds rip California over abuse in women’s prisons

The clock's ticking for California authorities to address systemic abuse by women's prison staff, including retaliation against inmates who file reports that should be kept confidential.LOS ANGELES (CN) — Federal authorities on Thursday gave California officials less than two months to correct what they say is a longstanding pattern of sexual misconduct by staff in women’s prisons.An investigation that began under the Biden administration revealed violations of the Eighth and 14th Amendments, including faulty investigative practices, poor accountability measures and a failure to enable prisoners to file confidential reports. Harmeet Dhillon, assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights, called out facilities in Chowchilla and Chino, California, for failing to protect women prisoners from sexual abuse and harassment by prison staff.“Prisoners ought to be able to report this type of staff abuse without retaliation,” Dhillon said in a press conference. “Prisoners are fully aware of the gap in confidentiality.”According to Dhillon, the three state entities didn’t properly implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act, meant to hold prison staff accountable for wrongdoing.The Justice Department has given California notice of the minimum level of change required to address the violations. They include more cameras, improved methods of making confidential reports and heightened staff training and monitoring.Federal officials said the state has 49 days to properly address the issues. If it doesn’t, the Justice Department could file suit under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.“I want to say the state did cooperate with us in this investigation,” Dhillon said. “I do appreciate that.”Governor Gavin Newsom’s office referred comment to the corrections department, which couldn’t be reached.The investigation included two site visits, as well as the review of thousands of pages of documents, Dhillon said.She offered a few examples of misconduct highlighted by the investigation. She said state corrections in May 2024 received several accusations about a sergeant who provided contraband for prisoners in exchange for sexual favors.The prosecutor also mentioned the 2025 conviction of a former Central California Women’s Facility employee in Chowchilla. That person received a 224-year prison sentence.Additionally, Dhillon referenced another former employee of the same prison whose job was to investigate staff misconduct. That person received child sexual abuse material while on the job. He pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.“This deliberate indifference to the suffering of female prisoners at the hands of prison staff is illegal, and the Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California, will end this brutal abuse,” Dhillon said in a statement.First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, in the Central District of California, said the Justice Department report should serve as a turning point for California’s prison system.“We look forward to working, hopefully, cooperatively with the state of California,” the former Republican state lawmaker added.Essayli in a statement also called the information revealed by the investigation unacceptable. California has a legal and moral duty to protect prisoners, he added. It must address the sexual abuse at its correctional facilities and faulty guardrails that allowed the problem to occur.“Today’s findings highlight why robust, independent enforcement of federal civil rights laws remains critical,” said Eric Grant, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California. “I commend the investigative team for its thorough work and urge swift compliance with the remedial measures the report identified.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads